Cessna to Open New Citation Service Center in Spain

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. company, announces it will build its new European Citation Service Center at Valencia Airport in Spain.

After two years of studies, research and negotiations with Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (AENA), Spain's aviation administrative office, Cessna and AENA signed a land grant contract for a location at the Valencia Airport (LEVC), located within the cities of Manises and Quart de Poblet, nine kilometers west of the city of Valencia.

"With over 1,000 Citations operating in Europe and more on the way, the new facility in Spain will be an excellent complementary location for our Paris service center, offering our customers yet another option for service in an area we did not serve before," says Mark Paolucci, Cessna senior vice president, Customer Service. "Valencia Airport site was chosen because its location is convenient to destinations popular with many of our European operators, there is limited maintenance capability in the area and because we continue to see an increase in the number of Citations being based in North Africa. In addition we have had good cooperation with local authorities and there is an available qualified workforce."

The Valencia Citation Service Center will be similar in size and capacity as the recently inaugurated Citation Service Center in Mesa, AZ, with approximately 5,800 square meters (62,400 square feet) of hangar space and 3,500 square meters of office and administration spaces. Also, an additional second floor of office space is planned.

Within the next six months, a Cessna and AENA team will begin planning site development, with construction plans to be announced in the future. The service center will provide around-the-clock services as well as scheduled maintenance, and feature hydraulic and battery shops, parts support, and avionics modifications.